Living musical legend and Golden Gramophone winning singer-songwriter-composer Brenda Russell returns with new music twenty-plus years removed from her last studio collection, Between the Sun and the Moon. Having written hit songs for some of the industry’s all-time greatest artists, notably, Oleta Adams, Luther Vandross [RIP], Donna Summer [RIP], Babyface, The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Austin, Dionne Warwick, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner [RIP], Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Ramsey Lewis [RIP], she’s well respected for not just her vocal ability, but her incredible pen game as well. Our Brenda Russell interview dives into her musical hiatus, discusses the new path forward, and much more.
Russell, whose signature Billboard Hot 100 #6 solo entry, “Piano in the Dark,” earned Grammy nods for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by A Duo or Group with Vocals, has also been sampled by everyone from Janet Jackson and the late 2Pac to Chance the Rapper and Ariana Grande. The song remains timeless!
In 2006, Russell was originally nominated for a Tony Award for Best Original Score for her work on The Color Purple. While it ultimately didn’t win, the score and the Theater album are still heralded. The revival of the musical returned to Broadway in 2015 and this time the Tonys could not deny the win for Best Revival of a Musical.
Let’s get into the Brenda Russell interview.
Parle Mag: Let’s hop into this latest single, “You Know What It’s Like.” The track is very familiar, let us know why you wanted to revisit this one, and how it came to fruition?
Brenda Russell: This one is a co-write I did with the legendary Roberta Flack and Barry Miles that she originally recorded on her 1988 album Oasis. When the Queen calls, you answer. I met her over the course of our respective careers and she once dated a good friend of mine, which allowed me to get to know her better. We later performed in Japan at the Earth Voice Concert with Michael McDonald and James Ingram. We respected one another’s music so much.
Roberta simply reached out one day, asking me to write a song with her. She sent me a track of her musicians playing the music, and I came up with the title and wrote the lyrics and melody. When my co-producer, Stephan Oberhoff, and I were going through songs I had written but never recorded myself as potential singles and tracks for my upcoming album, I immediately thought of this one as a way to honor Roberta’s legacy and give her some love. The element of the track I love best is the background vocal textures created by Brian Alexander Morgan, a songwriter / producer who’s worked his magic with SWV, Usher, Lalah Hathaway, Missy Elliott and Eric Benét. To me, the lyrics shows realistic interplay between a man with a woman that’s so timeless.
Parle Mag: The new single comes courtesy of your still forthcoming LP, Songpainter — Conceptually, what does this title represent both to and for you?
Brenda Russell: Thank you for asking. Stephan and I are six or seven songs into it, and we’re very excited about the project. The title came from a conversation I had with my songwriter friend, Mary Unobsky. We were talking about my songs and she casually said, “Brenda you’re such a Songpainter.” It was like a lightbulb going off in my head. I knew Songpainter would be the perfect title, kind of a summary of all I’ve done in Pop and Broadway; as a co-writer of The Color Purple, and a mission statement for everything I’m doing now. I like the combination of words, and it’s grown on me and everyone around me. It makes sense because I always try to paint pictures in my songs, creating stories with lyrics that are very visual.
In addition to painting pictures in my songs, I have also done visual art creating works with charcoal for many years. It happened when an artist visited my house one day and wanted to sketch my picture. At the end of our session, she left her paper and charcoal behind and told me I should play. I took her up on it and was really amazed that I took to charcoal like I did. I mostly do portraits, including ones of musical greats like Michael McDonald, Quincy Jones, Rickie Lee Jones and legendary engineer, Al Schmitt. Being a creative person means you’re not limited to a single form of expression. I believe it all comes from Divinity, a higher place, so whether I’m painting, writing or singing songs, or whatever else I may desire, I’m tuned into that same Source.
Parle Mag: How then does Songpainter either differ or compare to previous Brenda Russell efforts?
Brenda Russell: Musically, it’s so exciting, and my happy place is in the studio with Stephan. I will leave it up to the audience to decide how it compares to my previous projects. My goal each time is to create from where I am in my spirit at the time. I’m also excited about the way some of the songs I chose that I wrote some years ago capture what I’m feeling about the world we live in now. “What Will It Take” is one of those that seems to work best right now. Another older song we recorded that I had forgotten about was “Save Me.” When Stephan played it for me, I was shocked; I didn’t even recognize it initially. You never know when a song is meant to come to life.
Parle Mag: Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
Brenda Russell: I suspect that I will still be creating – whether it’s painting or writing music, and hopefully both and more. Everything I do in music and art is so ethereal and wonderful to me, and I plan to do what I love til the end of my life.
Parle Mag: As for the immediate, what’s next for you, Brenda?
Brenda Russell: What’s next is completing this wonderful album, and taking things as they come. Even after all these years, it’s still so fulfilling to have the opportunity to state how you feel through music. It’s an amazing privilege to be able to communicate with so many people like that.
Parle Mag: “Get Here” and “Piano in the Dark” (Oleta Adams’ version, too) are bonafide R&B classics — How did these particular compositions come about? Who came up with their concepts? And please describe for me the overall studio vibe(s) on that / those fateful day(s)?
Brenda Russell: My “big three” also includes “If Only for One Night” that I recorded on my debut album, and Luther Vandross recorded and released as a single in the mid-‘80’s. I have some great stories about these songs. I wrote “Get Here” in Stockholm, where I was invited to be on a TV show, while I was staying in a top floor penthouse of a beautiful building in the gorgeous city of Stockholm. It’s an amazing city with great people. The environment inspired me to draw using pastel colors. I was thinking about a special, maybe even life-changing person who I had not met yet. It screams romance to me. Everyone has that special person you think about that you haven’t met yet that you think will give you a sense of completeness when they appear. Believe it or not, I’m still waiting!
As for “Piano in the Dark,” two good friends of mine, Scott Cutler and Jeff Hull, wrote the music and wanted me to put a lyric to it. The chord progressions and structure they sent me were so beautiful. I had a little book with clever titles I would come up with. While I was on the phone with them, I looked in my book and saw the title “Piano in the Dark.” I shared it with them and like most people, they asked, “What does it mean?” And I said, “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” I wrote the lyric and melody while my nine year old daughter at the time, was sleeping in the next room. I always feel divinely connected to the music, so I just open myself up to receive the powerful message of what it would be about. The story was every time this woman tried to leave this man, he would play piano and draw her back in. The music keeps her attracted to him.
What I remember most about Luther wanting to record “If Only for One Night” was his joy about the song. When I got back from that trip to Sweden, I heard the good news. It was Christmas time and I had very little money, so to know that one of the greatest R&B singers of that era wanted to record my song made me very happy for a number of reasons. I think he resonated with the soulfulness of it and feeling of longing. Who could sing it better than him?
Parle Mag: Is there anything I left out or just plain forgot to mention?
Brenda Russell: I always like to chat about my involvement as a co-writer on the Broadway adaptation of The Color Purple, on which I collaborated with songwriters, Stephen Bray and the late Allee Willis. We were grateful to receive both a Tony and Grammy Award for our work. For those who may not know, it’s based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning 1982 novel, and Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film adaptation. The original Broadway production ran from 2005 to 2008, and earned 11 Tony nominations. Then a revival in 2015 received two Tonys – including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress for Cynthia Erivo.
It all started when Stephen and I were working with Allee on an internet show she had at the time. She called us to come and help her with new songs for the show. While writing songs for the internet, I literally looked up at the sky, and in a New York accent, I said, “We need something bigga!” Not long after we got a call from Scott Sanders, a prominent producer who wanted to bring The Color Purple to Broadway and was trying to put together some writers for the show. He had my name on his short list, and asked Allee if she knew me! The three of us were flattered and wrote two sample songs for Scott, who chose us as the team he wanted to work with but initially forgot to call and inform us! We were up against some serious writers, and were so pleased that Alice liked the vibe we created and that they wanted us. I asked the universe for something “bigga,” and we sure got it!
Parle Mag: Lastly, any “parting” words for our readers?
Brenda Russell: I don’t have any rules about writing. If you want to express yourself through music, the most important thing is to be true to yourself. Because the personal experiences you’ve had and choose to write about are likely similar to those of the listeners whose ears and emotions you want to capture. Also, listen closely to people talking because you never know when they’ll say something amazing that can spark a song concept or lyric. That’s happened to me. One time in conversation with a friend I blurted out that I would love to have dinner with Gershwin – and it became a Top Ten R&B hit for Donna Summer! I want to encourage the new songwriters out there don’t be afraid to go deep. In my experience, the songs that were the most painful to write turned out to be the ones people love the most.
